Beneil Dariush explains why Leon Edwards has a legitimate claim to UFC P4P number 1 status

Beneil Dariush recently expressed his skepticism at the accuracy of the UFC pound-for-pound rankings and the value that is given to them.

Dariush pointed to Leon Edwards barely being considered for the No.1 P4P ranking in the UFC despite beating former P4P No.1 Kamaru Usman twice.

Following the recent debacle over the P4P rankings stemming from the Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski fight and the return of Jon Jones, Dariush was asked what he thinks of the rankings.

During a recent interview with Helen Yee Sports, Beneil Dariush said this:

"Pound-for-pound is like whatever you want it to be. Like why isn't Leon Edwards pound-for-pound champion? 'Cause [Kamaru] Usman was pound-for-pound champ right? And [Leon] just beat him twice. I don't understand how pound-for-pound works so I'm not gonna speak on it. I think, yeah, Jon Jones is number one. And then after that I don't really care."

Watch the interview below from 3:05:

Prior to Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski taking place, 'The Great' had occupied the No.1 spot on the pound-for-pound rankings. Makhachev occupied the No.2 spot, and the consensus was that whoever won at UFC 284 who be the new P4P No.1.

Which is why Beneil Dariush's logic applies aptly to Leon Edwards.

Edwards' headkick-KO victory may have taken fans by surprise considering 'Rocky' was losing the fight on the scorecards. But 'The Nigerian Nightmare' was ranked at the top of the UFC's P4P rankings when he lost, meaning that Edwards should have taken his place if it were a pure meritocracy.

It seems as though the pound-for-pound rankings may be based on more than just winning fights. Makhachev defeated Volkanovski at UFC 284, but did not leapfrog Volkanovski in the pound-for-pound list.

Then, following Jon Jones' first-round submission win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, Jones, who wasn't even in the P4P top 15 rankings, was ranked No.1 on the list.

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Beneil Dariush is "pissed off" at Charles Oliveira ahead of their clash in May

Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira are set to do battle in what could be a title-eliminator at UFC 288 in May. The pair of lightweight contenders are set to co-headline the event alongside Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo.

Dariush, normally a reserved character, recently shared his frustrations with Oliveira for the delay in proceedings in getting their fight finalized. According to Dariush, he wanted to fight 'Do Bronx' in March, but could not get the deal closed in time.

Beneil Dariush was recently interviewed by The Schmo, and he said this:

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little pissed with Charles. We should have done this fight in early March, I should be chilling right now and spending time with my baby. But I have to do my practice, do my recovery, eat right, lose weight and still spend time with my baby. Not gonna lie, [I'm] pretty pissed."

Watch the video below from 1:30: